Panrkhash

Ingredients

Base

• 6 sheetsstale dry lavash, about 350 g, torn into palm-sized pieces
• 500 mljust-boiled water, or hot milk for a richer version

Cheese and butter

• 400 gLori or chanakh cheese, coarsely grated, plus 150 g fresh stringy chechil, pulled apart
• 150 gbutter
• 2onions, finely sliced (optional, Gyumri style)
• black pepper

To serve

• fresh herbs: tarragon, dill and spring onion
• a bowl of cold matsun (yoghurt)

Directions

1. Tear the dry lavash into rough pieces the size of your palm and pile them in a wide bowl; the bread must be properly stale and brittle, since fresh lavash turns to glue.
2. Sprinkle the just-boiled water over the bread a ladle at a time, tossing between additions, until every piece is limp and pliable but not swimming; drain off any pooled liquid.
3. If using onions, melt 50 g of the butter in a heavy pan over medium-low heat and cook the sliced onions for 12 to 15 minutes, until soft, sweet and pale gold with no colour at the edges.
4. Melt the remaining butter and brush a heavy cast-iron or clay pan generously.
5. Layer a third of the softened lavash into the pan, scatter a third of the grated cheese, a third of the chechil and some onion and pepper, and repeat twice, finishing with cheese and a good pour of melted butter.
6. Cover with a lid or foil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes, until the cheese under the surface has melted and the pan is bubbling at the edges.
7. Uncover and give it 8 to 10 more minutes, until the top is patched with gold and the butter is sizzling around the rim.
8. Bring the pan to the table and serve by dragging a spoon through: the cheese should pull into long strings and the bread should be soft, buttery and steaming, never crisp.

Technique

• This is a Gyumri and Shirak dish born of thrift; the whole point is reviving lavash that has gone hard, so do not buy fresh bread and dry it in a hurry.
• The stringiness comes from chechil, the Armenian pulled string cheese. Without it the dish tastes right but does not pull, which locals will notice immediately.
• It is rich enough that the traditional accompaniment is a bowl of cold matsun and raw herbs, which cut the butter.

Substitutions

• No Lori cheese: a young salty white cheese such as feta rinsed of brine, or a mild halloumi, works; add low-moisture mozzarella for the pull if you cannot find chechil.
• Stale flour tortillas or pita split into layers can stand in for lavash, though the texture is denser.

Variations

• Kchuch panrkhash is baked in individual clay pots and served in them.
• A leaner everyday version skips the onions and uses hot milk rather than water to soften the bread.
• Some households top it with a beaten egg in the last five minutes so it sets into a soft custard.

History

A dish of the Lori region, built from dried bread and local cheese as a way of using up leftovers.

Frequently asked questions

What is Panrkhash?

Panrkhash is a main from Armenia: stale lavash layered with cheese and butter, baked until soft and stringy. A dish of the Lori region, built from dried bread and local cheese as a way of using up leftovers.

How long does Panrkhash take to make?

Panrkhash takes 20 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Panrkhash?

Yes, within limits. No Lori cheese: a young salty white cheese such as feta rinsed of brine, or a mild halloumi, works; add low-moisture mozzarella for the pull if you cannot find chechil. Stale flour tortillas or pita split into layers can stand in for lavash, though the texture is denser.

What is the most important thing to get right in Panrkhash?

Tear the dry lavash into rough pieces the size of your palm and pile them in a wide bowl; the bread must be properly stale and brittle, since fresh lavash turns to glue.